Former Otago Daily Times chess columnist Dr Tony Dowden has kept ties to New Zealand chess since moving to Launceston, Tasmania a couple of years ago. The now three-time Tasmanian Champion was one of the competitors in the New Zealand Championship in Auckland in January. Ranked in the lower half of the field, Dr Dowden's finishing score of 5/11 was quite respectable given his relative lack of recent competition at that level.
Today's game from the seventh round of the championship shows some highly imaginative attacking play with the white pieces against FM Bruce Watson of Auckland. The notes incorporate some of Dr Dowden's own comments.
1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Nd5 ---
White avoids the doubling of his c-pawns – often a feature of the English Opening giving Black long term counter-chances. 5. --- Bc5 6. e3 O-O 7. a3 a5 8. Ne2 Ba7 9. O-O d6 10. d3 Ne7?!
Needlessly weaking his own kingside pawn structure, when either 10 ... Bg4 or 10 ... Nxd5 were feasible. 11. Nxf6+ gxf6 12. Nc3 f5 13. f4! ---
Not about to allow f5-f4 by Black, who would thereby justify his earlier move with some kingside attacking chances. The game now enters a manouvring phase where central pawn exchanges are hindered by the desire to either fix or dissolve the weak black doubled pawns. 13. --- f6 14. Kh1 c6 15. b3 Be6 16. d4 Qc7 17. Ra2 Rad8 18. Re1 Bf7 19. Bf3 Qb8 20. d5 Kg7 21. Rd2 e4 22. Bxe4!!? ---
The !! are for bravado, since having finally enticed 21 ... e5-e4 White could have played 22. Bg2, with the idea of 23. g4 fxg4 24. Nxe4 and an attack similar to the game with less risk. “Unfortunately the whole concept seems to be unsound. But I must say it was a lot of fun playing the attacking side!” 22. --- fxe4 23. Nxe4 cxd5 24. Nxf6! ---
This investment of a second piece is the only way to make sense of the first. The black king will come under fire from the white bishop, queen and rooks while his two extra pieces temporarily block his escape. 24. --- Kxf6 25. Bb2+ d4
Otherwise White wins back a piece and three pawns with a continuing attack: e.g. 25 ... Kf5 26 cxd5 Bxd5 (else 27 Qb1+ mates) 27 Rxd5+ Ke6 (27 ... Nxd5? 28 Qxd5 mates) 28 Rxa5 etc. or 25 ... Ke6 26 Qg4+ Nf5 27 cxd5+ Kd7 28 Qxf5+. 26. Qg4 ---
“I had seen this far and the possibilities looked so enticing I could resist saccing. In particular after the apparently logical 26...Qc8 or 26...Rg8 White can continue 27 Rxd4!! Q/Rxg4 28 Rad6+ Kf5 29 e4 is mate!” 26 --- Bg6! 27. exd4 Nf5 28. d5+ Kf7 29. Qg5 Kg8!
Playing for the win – other moves allow perpetual check starting with 30 Qf6+. 30. Re6 Qc7 31. g4 Qf7?
“Black finally goes astray (In the game I felt that Bruce had defended depressingly well up to here). Here the relatively simple 31...Ng7 32 Re7 Rd7! defends - but in time trouble both sides overlooked that Rd7 defends the g7 square and shields the queen from the Re7 attack.” 32. Rf6 Qe7 33. Re2! Be3?
Not 33 ... Qxe2? 34 Rxg6+ Kf7 35 Qxf5+ Ke8 36 Re6+ Kd7 37 Qxh7+ Kc8 38 Rxe2. But Black can give up his queen with 33 --- Rxf6! when after 34 Rxe7 Nxe7 35 Bxf6 he has the astonishing 35 ... h6! 36 Qxg6+ (forced) Nxg6 37 Bxd8 a4! and Black's extra piece should beat the pawns. “White's rook sac takes black by surprise and Black's stern defence suddenly collapses.” 34. Rxe3! Qg7 35. gxf5 Rxf6 36. Bxf6
“Black is about to suffer catastrophic material loss.”
1-0
Solution: 1 Nf6+! gxf6 2 Qxf6 and after Black gives up the queen, 4 Rh8#.
Attacking flair from Dowden
Problem: White to play and mate in 4.
Former Otago Daily Times chess columnist Dr Tony Dowden has kept ties to New Zealand chess since moving to Launceston, Tasmania a couple of years ago. The now three-time Tasmanian Champion was one of the competitors in the New Zealand Championship in Auckland in January. Ranked in the lower half of the field, Dr Dowden's finishing score of 5/11 was quite respectable given his relative lack of recent competition at that level.
Today's game from the seventh round of the championship shows some highly imaginative attacking play with the white pieces against FM Bruce Watson of Auckland. The notes incorporate some of Dr Dowden's own comments.
1. c4 e5
2. g3 Nf6
3. Bg2 Nc6
4. Nc3 Bb4
5. Nd5 ---
White avoids the doubling of his c-pawns – often a feature of the English Opening giving Black long term counter-chances.
5. --- Bc5
6. e3 O-O
7. a3 a5
8. Ne2 Ba7
9. O-O d6
10. d3 Ne7?!
Needlessly weaking his own kingside pawn structure, when either 10 ... Bg4 or 10 ... Nxd5 were feasible.
11. Nxf6+ gxf6
12. Nc3 f5
13. f4! ---
Not about to allow f5-f4 by Black, who would thereby justify his earlier move with some kingside attacking chances. The game now enters a manouvring phase where central pawn exchanges are hindered by the desire to either fix or dissolve the weak black doubled pawns.
13. --- f6
14. Kh1 c6
15. b3 Be6
16. d4 Qc7
17. Ra2 Rad8
18. Re1 Bf7
19. Bf3 Qb8
20. d5 Kg7
21. Rd2 e4
22. Bxe4!!? ---
The !! are for bravado, since having finally enticed 21 ... e5-e4 White could have played 22. Bg2, with the idea of 23. g4 fxg4 24. Nxe4 and an attack similar to the game with less risk. “Unfortunately the whole concept seems to be unsound. But I must say it was a lot of fun playing the attacking side!”
22. --- fxe4
23. Nxe4 cxd5
24. Nxf6! ---
This investment of a second piece is the only way to make sense of the first. The black king will come under fire from the white bishop, queen and rooks while his two extra pieces temporarily block his escape.
24. --- Kxf6
25. Bb2+ d4
Otherwise White wins back a piece and three pawns with a continuing attack: e.g. 25 ... Kf5 26 cxd5 Bxd5 (else 27 Qb1+ mates) 27 Rxd5+ Ke6 (27 ... Nxd5? 28 Qxd5 mates) 28 Rxa5 etc. or 25 ... Ke6 26 Qg4+ Nf5 27 cxd5+ Kd7 28 Qxf5+.
26. Qg4 ---
“I had seen this far and the possibilities looked so enticing I could resist saccing. In particular after the apparently logical 26...Qc8 or 26...Rg8 White can continue 27 Rxd4!! Q/Rxg4 28 Rad6+ Kf5 29 e4 is mate!”
26 --- Bg6!
27. exd4 Nf5
28. d5+ Kf7
29. Qg5 Kg8!
Playing for the win – other moves allow perpetual check starting with 30 Qf6+.
30. Re6 Qc7
31. g4 Qf7?
“Black finally goes astray (In the game I felt that Bruce had defended depressingly well up to here). Here the relatively simple 31...Ng7 32 Re7 Rd7! defends - but in time trouble both sides overlooked that Rd7 defends the g7 square and shields the queen from the Re7 attack.”
32. Rf6 Qe7
33. Re2! Be3?
Not 33 ... Qxe2? 34 Rxg6+ Kf7 35 Qxf5+ Ke8 36 Re6+ Kd7 37 Qxh7+ Kc8 38 Rxe2. But Black can give up his queen with 33 --- Rxf6! when after 34 Rxe7 Nxe7 35 Bxf6 he has the astonishing 35 ... h6! 36 Qxg6+ (forced) Nxg6 37 Bxd8 a4! and Black's extra piece should beat the pawns. “White's rook sac takes black by surprise and Black's stern defence suddenly collapses.”
34. Rxe3! Qg7
35. gxf5 Rxf6
36. Bxf6
“Black is about to suffer catastrophic material loss.”
1-0
Solution: 1 Nf6+! gxf6 2 Qxf6 and after Black gives up the queen, 4 Rh8#.